Cervical tampon applier



Aug. 7, 1934. A. NELSON CERVICAL TAMPON APPLIER Original Filed Dec. 5,1931 I I vlllllflllltllllll WITNESSES a? Q Zw ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 7,1934 mew-OFFICE {CERVICAL TAMIBON aPrL ER y Archer Nelson, Newark, N.J., assignor t6 Adair I I Royalties Co. Inc., Newark N. J. a corporationof New Jersey Application December a, 1931, Serial No. 578,801

-, Renewed January 2,1934 7 5 Claims (01. 128 -263) An object of theinvention is to provide a cervical tampon applier having a collapsiblespeculum which may be readily introduced without 'pain into the vaginaof a woman and towhich a tampon-charging member may be attached, apiston being provided for forcing the tampon from *the member andthrough the speculum, which will extend the speculum and protect thetampon from the walls of the vagina until the tampon is disposed'at themouth of the uterus. Another object of the invention is toprovide aspeculum with a'body having an extending arm 'andwith a companionextending 'arm pivoted to the body.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tampon-chargingmember with an open end which may be attached to the speculum and with ahead with an aperture normally closing the other end, a piston rod beingdisposed in the aperture, the piston rod carrying a piston which isadapted to pass through the tampon-charging member and between the armsof the speculum to extend the pivoted arms of the speculum and disposethe tampon at the mouth of the uterus.

Additional objects of the invention will appear in the followingspecification in which the preferred form of the invention is described.

In the drawing similar reference characters refer to similar parts inthe several views, of which 130 Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating thespeculum, and the tampon-charging member with its associated piston rod,

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to the sectional view illustratedin Figure 2, but with the pivoted arm of the speculum extended.

By referring to the drawing it will be seen'that a speculum is providedhaving a collar 5 from which extends an arm 6, a companion arm 7 beingpivoted to the speculum at 8. It will be seen, by referring to Figures 2and 3 of the drawing, that the inner ends of the arms 6 and 7 are spacedapart, and it will also be seen by referring to the drawing that each ofthe arms 6 and 7 is concave-convex in cross section and that the extremeends 9 of the arms are rounded. With this construction it is possible tointroduce the arms 6 and '7 into the vagina of a woman, preferably withthe pivot point disposed vertically, or from Y vagina. In this way thespeculum may be introdisposedin position.

duced into the vagina of the woman readily and without pain, and it maybedisposed as desired after it has been introduced into the'vagina.

It will be understood that a speculum constructedas described may be'made of different sizes to fit different'women, and preferably it willbe manufactured in three sizes to expel tampons of one and one-half,-one and three-quarters and two inches from side-to-side measurement. Itwill also be understood that the speculum which has been described'maynot only be introduced into the vaginawithout pain, but thatit willserve to assist'in positioning a tampon of a relatively large size andwill protect this tampon from moistureat the walls of the vagina untilit is A hollow tampon-charging member 10 is provided which has an end 11which may be disposed within the collar 5 of the speculum after thespeculum has been disposed in the vagina. This tampon-charging member 10is preferably cylindrical in cross section and has a head 11 which maybe detachably disposed on the outer end of the tampon-charging member.The drawing shows the head 11 with a threaded flange 12 which mesheswith a thread at the outer end of the tampon-charging member, but itwill be understood that any desired means may be employed to mount thehead 11 on the tamponcharging member 10. Preferably the head 11 has anextending sleeve 13 in which is disposed a piston rod 14, a piston 15being disposed in the tampon-charging member 10 and being secured to thesaid piston 15. This piston 15 is preferably conical in shape, so thatit may serve not only to discharge the tampon 16 from the tamponchargingmember 10, but may also serve to press the tampon 10 between theextending arms 6 and 7 of the speculum to extend the pivoted arm '7 ofthe speculum to the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawing.

The piston rod 14 has a flange 1'7 which is adapted to engage with thesleeve 13 on the head 11 to limit the movement of the piston 15 andprevent the base of the piston 15 from extending beyond the curved ends9 of the extending arms 6 and 7, which would interfere with the relativemovement of the piston. A handle 18 is provided by which the piston rod14 may be readily operated.

In using the device, the speculum is introduced into the vagina of thewoman in the manner set forth, after which a sterilized tampon isdisposed in the tampon-charging member 10, when the lar 5 of thespeculum, after which the piston 15 is operated by means of the handle18 on the piston rod to force the tampon 16 into position. The speculummay then be removed from the vagina in the reverse manner of itsintroduction.

It will be understood that, in using the cervical tampon applier, thephysician will select a speculum of the desired size, as well as atampon of the desired size, and that, when the tampon is to be removed,this will be done by the physician with suitable dressing forceps.

What is claimed is: i a.

1. In an article of the class described, a speculum having a collar withan arm extending therefrom and rigidly connected thereto, and acompanion extending arm pivoted to the collar, the two arms convergingforwardly when in inactivated positions, with the distance between theouter sides of the forward portions ofthe arms longitudinally of thepivot greater than the distance between the outer sides of the armstransversely of the said pivot when the pivoted arm is inactivated.

2, In an article of the class described, a speculum, a hollowtampon-charging member having its inner end detachably mounted on thespeculum and provided at its outer end with a head having an aperture,the tampon-charging member normally containing a tampon which, isintroduced into the tampon-charging member at its inner end, a pistonrod in the aperture, and a piston on the piston rod disposed for passingout of the tampon-charging member and into the speculum. v V t v I 3.In'an article of the class described, a speculum, a hollowtampon-charging member detachmember normally containing a tampon whichis introduced into the tampon-charging member at its inner end, a pistonrod in theaperture, a piston on the piston rod disposed for passing outthe tampon-charging member and into the speculum, and means to limit thepiston rod relatively to the tampon-charging member.

5. In an article of the class described, a speculum including a rigidlyextending arm and a companion pivoted: extending arm having; its innerend spaced from the first mentioned arm and movable relatively thereto,the companion extending arm normally converging forwardly relatively tothe first mentioned armsto form a wedge, a hollow tampon-charging memberdetachably and slidably mounted on the speculum and provided at itsouter end with a head having an aperture, the tampon-charging membernormally containing a tampon which is introduced into. thetampon-charging member at itslinner end, a piston rod in the aperture,and a piston on the piston rod disposed for passing out of thetampon-charging member and into the speculum.

ARCHER. NELSON.

